Boundless Love

… that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:17-19

God wants us to be “rooted” in love, so that everything we do springs from love. It is not only a matter of doing what is right, but we must do everything out of love. For example, all parents have the right to discipline their children. But the question is: What motivates them to discipline—anger, frustration or love?

Also, God wants us to be “grounded in love” so that everything we build is built upon the solid foundation of love. His desire is that we comprehend the breadth, length, depth and height of His boundless love. When we have a revelation of the love of God, it transforms our lives:

(1) Breadth. We must be willing to stretch forth our arms to receive people of all races, languages and social backgrounds. And even those with difficult temperaments.

(2) Length. We must be willing not only to go the extra mile, but many more miles in order to redeem and help a brother or sister in need (Matt. 5:41). A Roman soldier was permitted to oblige a citizen to carry his armor and belongings for one mile. However, the soldier could not force him to carry his pack beyond that fi rst mile. But Jesus tells us that true love is love that goes beyond what we are required to do. We want to go the second, or third, or fourth mile, or whatever it takes, to show the love of God to those around us.

(3) Depth. We must be willing to go into the very pit in which someone has fallen in order to pull him out. This love was dramatically demonstrated by Mother Theresa. She dedicated every day of her adult life caring for the dying, the crippled, the mentally ill, the unwanted and the unloved. She fed them, sheltered them and cleaned their wounds. But what is more important is that she made them feel good, loved and wanted. Mother Theresa gave them back their dignity that poverty had taken away from them. Even if they died, they died with a smile on their face knowing that somebody loved them; that somebody cared for them.

(4) Height. The height of the love of God can apply to going after those who are the elite of society. God saves from the “guttermost to the uttermost.” At Jericho, Jesus reached out to poor Bartimaeus as easily as He would minister to wealthy Zacchaeus. The love of Christ defi es human understanding. But nonetheless, this is the path to being “filled with all the fullness of God.” And the Holy Spirit has done just that—pouring out the love of God in our hearts (Rom. 5:5).